Tag: 2021 NFL season

NFL formally approves 17th game, creating extra Dolphins home game

NFL formally approves 17th game, creating extra Dolphins home game

It is now official. After months of teasing and posturing for a formal change to the NFL’s annual scheduling to be made, this afternoon formally introduced the first major shift to the NFL’s schedule since the late 1970s. There will be a 17th game played in the regular season starting effective immediately.

The news, at this point, comes as no surprise. The details have long been anticipated as well — but this puts those plans officially into action. For the Miami Dolphins, it means a 9th home game in 2021; with the scheduled opponent set to be the New York Giants in South Florida.

The league’s approach to an additional game will feature a cross-conference plan that rotates by division, similar to how the league has handed the four non-conference opponents each given year prior to the addition of the 17th game. And for Miami, they’ll be paired against the second-place finisher amid the NFC East teams. That sets the stage for the Dolphins to butt heads with a number of former colleagues of Brian Flores: Giants head coach Joe Judge (mutual time with the Patriots) and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham (Flores’ defensive coordinator in 2019).

Further details for the 2021 NFL schedule can be expected in the coming month — but for now plan accordingly. There will be more meaningful games played in 2021 than ever before in the history of the league. And if the Dolphins continue to trend in the right direction, we stand a good chance of seeing them play more than 17 games this upcoming season, too.

NFL owners approve 17-game regular-season schedule

The NFL has approved its 17-game schedule for the upcoming regular season.

NFL owners have approved a 17-game schedule for the regular season at their virtual meeting on Tuesday.

The schedule will go into effect this season. Preseason games will drop to three from the current four.

There will continue to be one bye week for each team.

Some players such as Alvin Kamara already have been unhappy about the extra game.

So, the NFL has gone from 12 to 14 to 16 and now to 17 as the sport gets bigger and stronger over time.

NFL expected to expand to 17-game schedule for 2021 season

The NFL appears to be close to finalizing an expansion to a 17-game schedule for the 2021 NFL season.

Are you ready for more football? Well, it looks like you’re going to get more of it this season.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL is expected to officially expand the regular season from 16 games to 17 games starting this season. This comes after the new CBA, ratified in March of last year, allowed the NFL to expand the regular-season schedule for the first time since 1978.

Under the expanded regular-season schedule, the 17th game would be an inter-conference matchup. Though the NFL hasn’t confirmed or announced any matchups yet, it’s expected the AFC North will take on the NFC West, meaning the Ravens would face the Los Angeles Rams since both finished second in their respective divisions last season.

While fans are excited about the possibility of more football, many players have a different outlook since they’ll be the ones suiting up. Baltimore offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley took to Twitter with a GIF of Boo from “Monsters, Inc.” to show how he feels about the likelihood of an extended regular-season.

[vertical-gallery id=59108]

 

 

NFL confirms salary cap of $182.5M for 2021 season, Eagles ranked 30th in cap space

The Eagles will have a salary cap limit of $182.5 million for the 2021 NFL Season after the league announced the numbers.

The numbers are in and now teams around the NFL know how much cap space they’ll have to work with after the league announced a $182.5 million cap for 2021, down almost $14 million from 2020.

Prior to the pandemic, the salary cap had risen at least $10 million per season and the loss of income comes at a horrible time, as the Eagles will enter the new league year some $30 million in the red per Over The Cap. 

The Eagles cap will be about $205 million after the team carried over $24 million in cap space from the 2020 season.

In the division, The Washington Football has the most cap space with just under $38 million (No. 6 overall), the Cowboys have less than a million in space and New York is $9 million over the cap.

[listicle id=647275]

[lawrence-related id=647617,647609,647595]

Will A.J. McCarron be the Houston Texans starting QB for 2021?

Former Alabama star quarterback A.J. McCarron could be starting in the NFL for the Houston Texans if Deshaun Watson sits out.

The Houston Texans have had a rough few years. They traded away their star wide reciver for next to nothing, J.J. Watt signed with the Arizona Cardinals and Deshaun Watson still refuses to be affiliated with the organization in any way.

Watson’s demand for a trade does not seem to fit within the model for the Texans’ new front office. They continue to claim that he is not available for trades.

Because of their inability to work with Watson, it has now become clear that he is willing to sit out and not participate in the 2021 NFL seson if it is with the Texans.

Should this happen, former Alabama star quarterback A.J. McCarron would be the presumed starting signal caller.

Now, this is speculation, but unless the Texans’ front office has been searching for a quick replacement through free agency or the draft, McCarron will be the teams starter.

In his seven-year career, McCarron has started four games and has an overall record of 2-2.

Report: Philadelphia Eagles 2021 schedule to be released in May

The NFL is hoping to release their entire 2021 regular season schedule sometime during the month of May, after the NFL Draft.

[jwplayer EZZ275oG]

The Eagles know their opponents for the 2021 NFL season and per Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, the dates and times should be released sometime during the month of May.

Typically, the NFL schedule is released prior to the NFL draft, but the COVID-19 pandemic has ensured a late unveil for the second-straight year.

The Eagles will face the NFC South and AFC West, meaning Philadelphia’s rebuilt defense will face Tom Brady, Taysom Hill or Drew Brews, Patrick Mahomes, and Chargers rookie sensation, Justin Herbert among others.

The Eagles will play their six NFC East games along with the 49ers and Lions as well.

When the NFL officially expands the season to 17 games, the Eagles will face a familiar face in Joe Douglas and the New York Jets.

[vertical-gallery id=647447]

[lawrence-related id=647525,647519,647513,647511,647507]

Report: Jaguars would draw Falcons if NFL adds 17th game in 2021

Should the NFL exercise its option to expand the regular season to 17 games in 2021, Jacksonville would likely draw the Falcons at home.

The NFL has discussed adding a 17th game to the regular season for several years now, and it seems that 2021 may be the year that it finally happens.

According to Peter King of Football Morning in America, a 17-game schedule is “highly likely” in 2021, with the NFL and television coordinators operating under the assumption that it will happen. The collective bargaining agreement the players approved last year gave the league the option to expand to 17 games in 2021.

King says that if enacted, the 17th game will be a cross-conference matchup with the division the team faced two years before, in this case during the 2019 season. The opponent is the corresponding team in the other division’s standings from the previous season.

This format is slightly confusing, but since the Jaguars played the NFC South as its interconference division in 2019, they would face the team in that division that finished last during the 2020 season. This would mean the extra game would draw the Atlanta Falcons.

According to King’s report, the AFC would host all the interconference games in 2021, with that set to flip in 2022. This would mean the Jags would host the Falcons, who are an NFC rival of theirs, at TIAA Bank Field.

The Jags and the Falcons typically meet in the preseason, however, a two-game preseason is now in play with the regular season being altered. As for the regular season, the two teams have played each other seven times and the Falcons lead the series with a 4-3 record.

None of this is official yet, but it seems NFL squads could be playing an extra out-of-conference matchup each season from now on.

Travis Fulgham, Jalen Reagor feel very ‘confident’ about Eagles offense for 2021

Travis Fulgham, Jalen Reagor are both feeling pretty confident about the Eagles offense for 2021

As the Eagles get prepared for the 2021 NFL offseason that includes a salary cap purge and indoctrination of totally new staff, the young guys on offense are putting in the work.

As NFL draft pundits dissect Jalen Hurts’ ability at quarterback, his most talented assets on the outside aren’t buying the hype.

Travis Fulgham and Jalen Reagor took to Twitter on Friday to confirm that offense or expected production on that side of the ball, is the least of their problems.

Fulgham will look for more consistency, production, and playing time in 2021, while Reagor’s goal should be to improve as a route runner and offer the explosive plays that made him a huge name in the draft process last spring.

Greg Ward will be the veteran of the group, while J.J. Arcega-Whiteside enters his third season, having contributed 14 receptions in his first two years.

[listicle id=647259]

[lawrence-related id=647239,647269,647267,647343]

The Steelers aren’t doing anything to clear up Ben Roethlisberger’s murky future with the team

Sounds like the Steelers will be moving on.

As things stand right now, Ben Roethlisberger is still a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The question is whether he’ll still be there once the season finally rolls around this fall. The Steelers could potentially move on from Roethlisberger this offseason, who has been their quarterback for 17 seasons.

Will they keep him? We don’t really know. But Steelers GM Kevin Colbert isn’t making any assurances at this point.

On Wednesday when speaking to the media, he was given every opportunity to say that the Steelers were committed to bringing Roethlisberger back for next season.

He didn’t say that at all. Instead, he just let everyone know that Ben was still a Steeler as of now.

He said that the veteran quarterback says he still wants to play, but the team only told him that they’d have to look at the situation at hand.

With his $41.2 million cap hit for next year — compared to a dead cap hit of just $22 million if he’s cut — it doesn’t sound like Roethlisberger’s chances of returning are great at this point. He’d most certainly have to restructure his deal to spread the hit over multiple years if he does convince the Steelers to keep him around.

The Steelers will most likely try to get this resolved before the new league year — and free agency — begins on March 17.

[jwplayer Qd2VLIWl-q2aasYxh]

2021 NFL Calendar: Key dates to remember

The Atlanta Falcons have been looking forward to the 2021 NFL season since the team’s 0-5 start prompted owner Arthur Blank to clean house.

The Atlanta Falcons have been looking forward to next year ever since the team’s 0-5 start prompted owner Arthur Blank to clean house. With Arthur Smith in place as head coach and Terry Fontenot taking over as general manager, the Falcons are ready to start a new chapter.

Some key dates to know for the NFL’s 2021 season were announced on Tuesday, via ESPN’s Field Yates.

The window for teams to apply franchise tags starts on February 23 and ends on March 9. As for free agency, the legal tampering window begins on March 15. Two days later, on March 17, the new league year kicks off along with the official start of free agency.

Lastly, and most importantly for Atlanta, is the 2021 NFL draft, which starts on April 29 and runs through May 1. Mark your calendars as the Falcons have some big decisions to make this offseason, including what to do with the No. 4 overall pick.

[lawrence-related id=65850,65827,65716,65799]

[listicle id=65720]